GlenWyvis Distillery, known as the "world's first" community-owned whisky distillery, has entered administration, resulting in the loss of all three jobs and a halt to distilling.
Geoffrey Isaac Jacobs and Alistair McAlinden of Interpath Limited were appointed as joint administrators on October 5, 2026, following a "prolonged period" of financial and legal troubles. The distillery's online shop has been "paused."
Administrators appointed after funding exhausted
The move follows a Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators (NOIA) filed at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on September 23. The distillery cited "increased operating costs and ongoing external pressures" as reasons for the administration.
Alistair McAlinden, head of Interpath in Scotland and joint administrator, said: "These are challenging times for Scotland's whisky industry.
"We are aware of many independent producers up and down the country who are battling hard to keep their head above water in the face of rising costs, as well as oversupply and working capital strain from long maturation cycles which have coincided with a global cost of living crisis and changing drinking trends among younger generations.
"For GlenWyvis, the lack of future funding available has meant that there was no option but to appoint Administrators. With funding exhausted, there will be no distilling of whisky or gin while we look to explore how best to maximise realisations from the assets of the Society. We would ask all potential interested parties to contact us as a matter of urgency. Enquiries regarding the assets of the Society should be sent to: glenwyvis@interpath.com"
Community-owned distillery's history and challenges
Founded in 2015, GlenWyvis became the "world's first" community-owned distillery. Set against the backdrop of Ben Wyvis in the Highlands, it is backed by around 3,800 members across Scotland and around the world.
Over the past decade, it produced award-winning spirits from its site above Dingwall. It was powered by renewable energy sources including wind, hydro, solar, and biomass.
However, the distillery faced a "prolonged period" of "substantive" commercial, operation and legal issues, with bosses citing "challenging conditions across the whisky market, rising operating costs and sustained external pressures." The Society's Management Committee explored options including external fundraising, but this did not produce the necessary capital to continue trading.
Impact on staff and cask owners
Administrators confirmed that the Society's three members of staff have been made redundant. There will be no further distilling of gin or whisky, with administrators focusing on owned whisky stocks and distillery equipment ahead of any sale of these assets.
Affected staff will receive support from Interpath's specialist employment team to help with claims for monies owed to the Redundancy Payments Service. Private cask owners will also receive communications from the administrators.
McAlinden added: "We understand that a significant number of members and customers own private casks held through the Society and that the position of those casks will be an immediate concern. Further information will follow to confirm arrangements for those parties and their casks."
Other Scottish businesses have also entered administration recently, including family-run cosmetics firm Aromatic Business Limited, which appointed administrators at Business Rescue Expert on September 23, 2026, and Edinburgh-based dental firm Calcivis Limited, which entered administration on September 25, 2026.
